Re: OT - Palin Surreal....

Frank Krygowski wrote:
But part of the problem is our expected standard of living. I look at
the goodies that our friends, or my college students, "must" have, and
I'm amazed. By comparison, I'm considered almost Amish - no big, flat
TV, no cable, no cell phone, no iPod, tiny house, no fancy car, etc.
But I'm profligate compared to my parents, who scrimped like crazy
until they were in their 50s, at least. Only then did they start
taking real vacations, like going to Vegas. My music-loving father
never had so much as a record player.

Hey... for 12 years I lived on an average of $5k per year... best 12
years of my life, mostly because I rarely worked and had all the free
time in the world.

But your example still doesn't ring true. Yes people are more
materialistic in some ways, but the fact remains that we are working
more and getting less than the previous generation. This is true
regardless of people's spending habits. Since the prospects of owning
a home or supporting a family decently are nil, they cast their
attention to a lifestyle that they can afford... you can buy a lot of
bling junk for the price of a mortgage and a family. Young men who
might be inclined to have a family, and lack the talent to become a
professional, have few prospects these days. If they get married and
they and their wife work hard at crappy jobs to get by, there is still
a 50-50 chance (or greater) that he will lose his family and be stuck
with child support til the kids are 18. 40 years ago anyone who was
willing to work could support a family and buy a house, and his wife
could stay home! He would likely have good job security, benefits, and
a pension. These people are retired now and they comprise a wealthy
leisure class. Wealthy by my standards anyway. Our neighbor in the
condo next door considers himself "poor". He retired from a gov
clerical job at the age of 50 (he is now 65). He "only" gets $38k a
year in pension and SS, with free health care. That is what my wife
and I make together, both working full time (self employed) with no
benefits at all...
.

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